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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23306593">well past the end</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/SpicyReyes/pseuds/SpicyReyes'>SpicyReyes</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Left 4 Dead (Video Games)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>M/M, ambiguously bmb verse</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-03-25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-03-25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-01 13:46:50</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Explicit</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,617</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23306593</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/SpicyReyes/pseuds/SpicyReyes</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>this fic was written as a bribe for a friend</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Ellis/Nick (Left 4 Dead)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>57</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>well past the end</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">


        <li>
            Inspired by

            <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/11546595">Blind Man's Bluff</a> by <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/ladyredms/pseuds/ladyredms">ladyredms</a>.
        </li>

    </ul></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>“How the fuck are we even allowed down here?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ellis laughed, dropping the duffel bag he’d been carrying on the ground. “That really what yer worried about, there, Nick?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, there’s also the fact that this whole beach smells like zombie still,” Nick offered. “Or that the water </span>
  <em>
    <span>definitely </span>
  </em>
  <span>has corpses in it. Nasty, rotting, decomposing corpses- you remember right after the rescue, when nearly everybody had gut-rotting infections? You’re reviving them, ace. This is the breeding ground. We are </span>
  <em>
    <span>fucked.” </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“Quit whinin’,”  Ellis said, dismissive, approaching the edge of the water. “This is important!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What are we </span>
  <em>
    <span>doing?” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Nick asked. “Are you fishing? If you are, I’m going back. I don’t wanna know what the fuck you pull out of that ocean, thanks.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No!” Ellis laughed. He reached up, tugging off his shirt, then starting to undo his belt.  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“...Okay,” Nick said, watching him hungrily. “You have my attention.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ellis’ shirt smacked Nick in the face, where the younger man had wadded it up and thrown it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What?” Nick protested, taking the shirt and tossing it on top of the duffle bag. “You’re the one doing a striptease.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“This ain’t a striptease,” Ellis said. After a second, he looked up, cheeks slightly pinked, and offered, “I </span>
  <em>
    <span>could </span>
  </em>
  <span>do one? </span>
  <em>
    <span>If </span>
  </em>
  <span>you play along right now.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m both concerned, and aroused,” Nick said. “Do tell. What am I doing?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ellis, standing now in boxers, began step backward….approaching the shoreline. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nick </span>
  <em>
    <span>stared. </span>
  </em>
  <span>“Swimming? Seriously?” he asked. “Did you miss the part where that water is fucking nasty?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“They cleaned out a couple miles worth’a sea floor,” Ellis said, continuing backward until water was brushing the hem of his boxers, rippling gently at mid-thigh. “In case any new babies or anythin’ were still at risk from the infection. It’s no nastier than a normal beach.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Bullshit,” Nick said. “I’m not getting in it.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ellis raised an eyebrow, and then stepped back a little further - one step, two, three -  until he was up to about his belly button in the water.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And then he dropped down into it, and watched Nick closely, before raising a hand, chucking something to the shoreline. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nick looked to it, disgusted. “What did you-...?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He stopped, eyes on it as it unrolled. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Boxers. Wadded up, wet, freshly removed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re going to get a fucking UTI,” Nick informed him. Still, though, his eyes darkened a bit as he looked back, and he did not retreat from the water again. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“C’mon, honey,” Ellis cooed to him. “It ain’t gonna kill ya.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nick sighed, staring at the water. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“There ain’t even fish,” Ellis said. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Because the water was toxic waste for months,” Nick reminded him, but still moved, slowly unbuttoning his shirt. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ellis beamed. “Yes! Come on!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m doing this under fucking protest,” Nick said, gently setting his clothes onto the duffle bag as well. “Do you have a towel in here, or something, or are we just going to lie around naked until we dry off like animals?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I got stuff in there,” Ellis promised. “Quit worryin’ about it and get out here.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ugh.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nick stripped all the way </span>
  <em>
    <span>before </span>
  </em>
  <span>entering the water, having no intention of putting wet clothes on when they were done - which they still would be, because he was </span>
  <em>
    <span>not </span>
  </em>
  <span>staying in the water any longer than he had to. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Stepping hesitantly into the shallows, he made an exaggerated expression of disgust, though he was surprised to find that Ellis’ hadn’t really been wrong: the sand beneath his feat did not seem to include any debris at all, be it plants or rocks or any marine life. It was as though the entire shore had been scooped away and replaced with manufactured sand instead, making it into a playground beach instead of the disgusting relic of an old world that Nick was picturing. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Did they seriously waste money terraforming a fucking beach?” Nick asked, wading in, approaching a bit more boldly as the deeper levels of water revealed no new horrors. “And they’re letting us put our dicks in it?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well,” Ellis said, hesitantly, “they don’t...necessarily know </span>
  <em>
    <span>that </span>
  </em>
  <span>part.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Are we trespassing?” Nick asked, finally reaching Ellis, standing in front of him, though he didn’t drop down into the water as well, placing the other’s head at about his waist level. “Did you bring me out here for an illegal fuck?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ellis flushed. “It ain’t really </span>
  <em>
    <span>il</span>
  </em>
  <span>legal…” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nick laughed, reaching to cup Ellis’ cheeks in his hands. “You should’ve led with that,” he said. “I’m always down for a ‘Fuck You, CEDA,’ romp.”  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That ain’t what I was plannin’, actually.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nick frowned, waiting for an explanation. Instead of words, though, Ellis reached up, hands curling around Nick’s hips, then slowly sliding up his sides, digging into muscle as they rose, then dragging back down, loving touches almost a massage.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nick relaxed into the touch, allowing Ellis to pull him down a bit, into the water, then against him, until Nick’s hip was resting against his chest…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>...and then he took a step backward, pulling Nick with him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nick flailed a second, hands coming down to grip Ellis’ shoulders as he lost his footing. As he scrambled to steady himself, he swore violently, more so when Ellis laughed. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Reaching up, Nick caught the end of Ellis’ long-growing curls, tugging on one. “Little </span>
  <em>
    <span>shit,” </span>
  </em>
  <span>he swore. “You drag me under and I’m beating your ass.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ellis took another step, but this one Nick followed, expecting it now. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yer gettin’ it,” Ellis said, grinning up at him, moving steadily backward. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What are you up to?” Nick said, as the water rose, Ellis with it, until they were both standing face-to-face in chest-deep water. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You,” Ellis said, pulling him close, “still don’t know how to swim.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, fuck no,” Nick said, moving his hands from Ellis’ shoulders to press against his chest, pushing him backward. “You are not conning me into a swimming lesson.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Too late.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Nope! I’m getting out.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Nah.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I was promised frisky skinnydipping.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And you’ll get it,” Ellis said. “But first, ya gotta figure out how to tread water.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Garbage,” Nick said, straining backward, as Ellis dragged him deeper into the water. “Ellis! I swear to fucking God, put me-...”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Down?” Ellis finished, before releasing his grip on Nick’s waist. Nick scrambled quickly as his feet fell through empty water, grabbing tight to Ellis’ shoulders and swearing profusely.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You,” Nick breathed, “are the worst. The absolute fucking worst.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You gonna swim with me?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I want a fucking divorce.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ellis threw his head back, laughing. “It ain’t hard! Ten minutes, you’ll be okay, and we can go back on the beach and see what I brought with us. A’ight?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Jesus, fuck, okay. Whatever. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Ten minutes.”  </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Beaming, Ellis leaned forward, pecking Nick on the cheek. “Okay,” he said, “Start like this…”</span>
</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
  <br/>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey! Watch it,” Nick scolded, as Ellis knocked their clothes aside to dig in the duffle bag. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sorry, sugar,” Ellis called, dragging out two towels and tossing one to Nick. “Figured you wanted to be dry.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’d like to be </span>
  <em>
    <span>clean, </span>
  </em>
  <span>too, but I guess that’s toast.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ellis wrapped his towel around his waist, tucking it into itself and twisting to secure it before digging in the bag again. This time he emerged with something larger, which he dragged out to the side and onto a clear patch of beach. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“A blanket?” Nick asked, staring. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ellis smiled at him a moment, then ignored him, spreading the blanket out on the ground and going back to the bag again. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t tell me-..” Nick started, breaking off in a groan as Ellis stood, brandishing what was very clearly a mini cooler. “A picnic? Is it our anniversary?” He paused, then, suddenly alarmed. “It’s not, is it?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ellis laughed. “No!” he said, coming around and catching Nick by the hand, dragging him toward the blanket, which they both settled down onto. “I just ain’t seen you in a few days. I missed you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Softening considerably, Nick shifted, hand coming up to brush Ellis’ hair back from his face, leaning in to steal a slow, gentle kiss. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You didn’t mind swimmin’?” Ellis asked softly as the kiss broke. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I love you,” Nick murmured to him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I love you, too,” Ellis said, smiling brightly at him, </span>
  <em>
    <span>radiating </span>
  </em>
  <span>fondness from every pore.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Okay, then,” Nick said, setting his hand on Ellis’ chest and pushing gently, guiding Ellis to lay back. “My turn, now.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You ain’t-...”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Shut up.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ellis’ mouth snapped shut, only to open a moment later in a gasp as Nick’s lips brushed his neck, his collarbone, then a nipple, his hand all the while petting its way down Ellis’ side. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You,” Nick said, between kisses, as he eased his way down Ellis’ body, “Should appreciate me,  right now, because I am letting your nasty seawater germs into my </span>
  <em>
    <span>mouth.” </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’ve had worse,” Ellis teased.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nick, now at Ellis’ hip, nosed at the dip of it, his hand dragging over to brush lightly just the right of sensitive parts, listening to Ellis’ breath catch. “Had much better, too.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Is that a compliment?” Ellis asked, slightly breathless. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nick smirked up at him. “Don’t flatter yourself,” he purred, as his hand moved, wrapping around Ellis gently, dragging along the length just to the left of too light. “I meant cigarettes, clearly.”  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ellis huffed out a soft laugh. “So did I.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nick tipped his head, resting his lips against the side of Ellis’ dick, speaking softly just a hair shy of the skin, so that his breath and the farthest edge of his lips gently brushed him as he formed each word. “Says the man that gets off at the taste of them.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I like the taste’a </span>
  <em>
    <span>you,” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Ellis corrected. “Ain’t- </span>
  <em>
    <span>Ah!”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Nick flattened his tongue against Ellis, curling his hand around the portion of his cock that wasn’t in his mouth, rolling the skin of him in his mouth, turning his tongue this way and that in just the right ways - things he’d learned over the years would take Ellis apart. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“B-baby,” Ellis said, hand landing in Nick’s hair, pulling back on it slightly. “Don’t- I wanted-...”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nick broke off, letting Ellis drop from his mouth as he sat up a bit. “What?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ellis twisted on the blanket, reaching for the mini-cooler. It was a cloth one, and there was a pocket on the front, which Ellis opened, dragging out a familiar bottle.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Like lube wasn’t already cold enough,” Nick muttered. “You just volunteered to take it, just so you know. I’d like it to be nice and warm by the time I get to it.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Then warm it up,” Ellis prompted, lifting his hips an inch, spreading his legs to rest on either side of Nick. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I remember picking up a shy little country boy,” Nick said, as he wet his fingers with the lube. “What did I do to you?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Lotsa things,” Ellis said. “And I weren’t never </span>
  <em>
    <span>shy.” </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“Your grammar gets worse every day.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ellis grinned at him in response, before his eyes snapped shut, pressing his hips down against Nick’s entering fingers. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Opening up easy,” Nick commented, voice low, leaning in to suck along Ellis’ neck, speaking between kisses. “You been keeping busy while I’m gone?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yer, uh-...” Ellis let out a pleased sound, bearing his neck to Nick’s attentions. “Got out yer birthday gift.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The vibrator?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ellis’ face bloomed red. “Yeah.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You dragged me out to fuck on a beach,” Nick told him, “but you can’t say ‘vibrator’?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ellis shifted, nudging Nick’s side with his knee. “Don’t make fun of me. Ain’t nice.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, I always try to be nice to </span>
  <em>
    <span>you,” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Nick said, and curled his fingers, seeking a place he’d spent a significant amount of time memorizing, enjoying the way Ellis arched into it, a low moan drawn from him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Once content with having secured Ellis’ comfort, Nick removed his fingers, lubing himself up instead. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ellis keened, hips lifting as Nick moved in, aligning himself and slowly, lovingly bringing them together. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hnnf-...” Ellis moaned, picking his legs up and throwing them around Nick’s waist, locking his ankles behind him and grinding up into him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nick pressed back in turn, keeping his body flush against Ellis’, hands coming to trail up and down his sides, focused on as much skin-to-skin contact as possible. He held still until some of the desperation eased, and they both relaxed, melting into each other. Slowly, very carefully, Nick moved, not pulling back at all but instead simply rocking their bodies, moving between being lightly touching each other and pressed as close together as they could manage, less focused on chasing an orgasm and more focused on simply connecting as intimately as they were able. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Nick,” Ellis moaned, arching against him. “You’re teasin’ me.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Mm?” Nick hummed, rocking them slowly together. “I don’t know what you’re talking about, El.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You-...” Ellis squirmed. “Need you. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Move.” </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Nick dragged them together, fingertips coming to brush against Ellis’ nipple. “Use your words, babydoll.”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Fuck </span>
  </em>
  <span>me,” Ellis said. “Ain’t had you for a week. Make love later, I need you </span>
  <em>
    <span>right now.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Nick chuckled, but complied, shifting them quickly. He dragged Ellis forward a bit on the blanket, curling their bodies so that Ellis’ spine curled up into raised hips, giving Nick the most leverage he could get to start rocking in deep, hard thrusts.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ellis’ hands fisted in the blanket on either side of them, his eyes closed and his head thrown back, losing himself in the sensation.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The sight, combined with the brief isolation they’d both had from each other, was making short work of Nick’s stamina, and he reached down quickly, taking Ellis into his hand to even the playing field a little.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Nick!” Ellis cried, pressing into him. “I’m gonna-...” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Come on, doll,” Nick cooed, curling into him, finding a compromise between the closeness of their original position and the stimulation of their second, drawing short gasps from Ellis with each bottom out. “I’ve got you.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Under his touches, Ellis came apart, Nick following short behind him, the two pressing close together as they caught their breath. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Petting along Ellis’ side, Nick shifted, settling himself onto his side, head tucking into Ellis’ neck, nose under his jaw. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So what was the beach trip about?” he murmured, when they’d recovered a bit. “I didn’t forget anything, did I?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Nah,” Ellis said, slightly somber, reaching up to take Nick’s hand, dragging it onto his stomach and starting to toy with the fingers. “I just-...I did the math. Our rescue anniversary is comin’ up, and I counted the days back….”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nick turned his hand over, and Ellis clutched it tight. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It was today,” Ellis said, very quietly. “That day you almost died. Today’s the anniversary.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nick squeezed his hand back. It was hard to remember the moment he’d felt certain he would die, the moment he’d given into it - harder still to imagine the grief that Ellis had gone through when he’d believed it, as well. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“My turn, tomorrow, then,” Nick said. As he felt Ellis shift, probably trying to convey confusion without them being face-to-face, he explained, “Today was a bad memory, but tomorrow….Tomorrow I told you I loved you.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Heh,” Ellis huffed, turning, dragging Nick closer. “Yeah, you did.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And then I spent like four months trying to prove it,” Nick recalled. “Because </span>
  <em>
    <span>somebody </span>
  </em>
  <span>wasn’t taking me at my word.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, well,” Ellis said. “I believed you eventually. And now you’re stuck with me, ‘til the end of it all.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We are </span>
  <em>
    <span>well </span>
  </em>
  <span>past that,” Nick informed him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ellis laughed, rolling them over, settling against Nick’s chest. “Does this mean you </span>
  <em>
    <span>don’t </span>
  </em>
  <span>want a divorce?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I can’t divorce you,” Nick told him. “You’d take my fucking cat.”</span>
</p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>dumb ending bc im sleeby</p></blockquote></div></div>
</body>
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